Commonly, conventional IV catheters are keep clear of clotting occlusions during their useful life by flushing the IV catheter periodically with saline or another suitable cleansing fluid or liquid. During the flushing process, the fluid is moved through the catheter to flush out any thrombus-forming clotting material contained within the catheter. Alternatively, some conventional IV catheters are keep clear of clotting occlusions by using an obturator to physically occupy a space within the IV catheter lumen. The obturator method is not universally accepted because it requires the doctor or nurse to place the obturator, which may have been recently exposed to an unsterile external environment, into the lumen of the catheter. This method may increase a risk of infection to the patient by positioning the obturator directly into the catheter such that the obturator may contact the patient's blood stream. Further, when the IV catheter is used in a therapy setting, the obturator must be removed and discard, and a replacement obturator is required.
Many conventional obturators are positioned with in the catheter in order to provide the occlusion prevention, and then removed to provide fluid aspiration and/or infusion therapy. The used obturator should be discarded after each use. This process must be repeated every time the IV catheter is accessed.